Sculpture: Primary sculpture of numerous very fine, closely-spaced, radial riblets which are visible through much of the shell surface. Some comarginal lines and growth stops. Older individuals have a slightly decussate surface near the outer margin. Riblets visible on inside of shell. Margin: Inner margin crenulate in correspondence to riblets. Ligament: Internal, opisthodetic, with the ‘pyriform’ ligament seated in a well-developed resilifer. A thin, barely visible, external ligament lies anterior to the beaks. Hinge: Taxodont: Broad and continuous hinge plate with a well-developed resilifer. Teeth long and pointed, usually 11-14 posterior and 20-30 anterior. The teeth extend across the top of the resilifer. Pallial Musculature: Pallial line continuous with no pallial sinus. Adductor muscle scars, oval, more or less equal in size and indistinct. Periostracum: Thin, smooth, glossy surface, grey-green to olive coloured, often with purple grey lines or narrow bands, very occasionally with orange or purple-grey coloured rays. Colour: White to bluey grey, slightly nacreous. Inside of shell nacreous.

Distribution

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Distribution & Ecology

Occurs all around the coasts of Britain and Ireland. North-east Atlantic, Mediterranean. Lives in mud and sands, occasionally gravels but always with a silty or sandy element. Lives from the near sub-tidal to the outer continental shelf (180-200m depth).

Resources

MarLIN
The Marine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland (MarLIN) provides information for marine environmental management, protection and education. It is a centre of excellence in spatially based and time-series marine biological information and supports good stewardship in the marine environment.

NBN Gateway
National Biodiversity Network's Gateway. Use it to explore UK biodiversity data, as contributed by participating data providers.

MarBEFMarBEF, a network of excellence funded by the European Union and consisting of 94 European marine institutes, is a platform to integrate and disseminate knowledge and expertise on marine biodiversity, with links to researchers, industry, stakeholders and the general public.